Rail splice and rerailer



April 15, 1952 N. WINTERS RAIL SPLICE AND RERAILER Filed Nov. 15, 1945 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 INVENTOR. NICK WINTERS ATTORNEY 'April 15, 1952 W1NTER$ 2,593,235

RAIL SPLICE AND RERAILER Filed Nov. 15, 1945 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I l V INVENTOR NICK )V/IYTEBS ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1952 RAIL SPLICE AND RER-ALLER Nick Winters, Weirton, W. Va., assignor to National Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware ' Application November 15, 1945, Serial No. 628,747

3 Claims."- ((31. 104-26-5) This invention relates to a rails'plice and rerailer for connecting together the adjacent end portions of rails and for replacing derailed wheels onto the rails.

This invention isprimarily concerned with a rail splice and rerailer particularly adapted for useas part of the track around open hearth furnaces and other locations in steel mills where the rerailing of derailed cars is an important problem. The track rails are subjected to abuse. Scrap, ore or molten slag or metal often fall on the tracks to derail the cars. The hot slag or metal also tends to cause buckling of the rails. A rail splice and rerailer, which is'to'be used in the charging tracks for an open hearth furnace, must be rugged to withstand the abuse, strong enough to prevent movement of the connected rails out of alignment and should be so designed that it can be used with rails laid in the-various arrangements and located on different types of floors normally in use.

An object of this invention is to provide a com bined rail splice and rerailer which forms a, part of the track system.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a rail spliceand rerailer which can be used with diiierent rail arrangements and different types of door structure.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such a rail splice and rerailer which is strong and not readily damaged and which will support and correctly position the rail ends while permitting the rails to longitudinally expand and contract without buckling.

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent when considering the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a rail splice and rerailer in position in a track rail and embodying the principle of the present view;

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken along line 2--2 of Figure l Figure 3 is a sectional view taken transversely of tracks having staggered joints and shows the rerailer and rail splice of Figure 1 in end elevation;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 and in which the rail joints are not staggered in end e1e-.,

vation and shows two rerailers of the typelshown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the rerailcr shown in Figure 1; and,

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a 2 portion of Figure 3 with a derailed wheel being rerailed.

Referring to the drawings, the open hearth furnace room of the steel mill, shown in this particular installation, comprises a subfloor 8 having a smooth, substantially level supporting surface which supports the tracks. Each track includes two parallel rails 9 and In and these rails are made up of relatively short lengths connected together at their adjacent ends. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the adjacent end portions of two aligned rails II and I2 are held in position and connected together by a splice I 3 including an inner member I4 which is between the track rails 9 and I0 and an outer member I5 which is on the outside of rail ID. The members I4 and I5 contain upper recesses I6 for receiving at least a portion of the ball II of each rail and contain lower complementary recesses Ii; for receiving rail base 20. The upper and lower recesses I6 and I9 are so shaped as to form an outwardly extending tongue I'B therebetween, engaging the bottom of ball IIand the top of base 20 on each side of the rail. The rail I2 is received in similar recesses and gripped in the same manner as rail II. A wheel support 2| is integral with and extends from inner member I4 and between the ends of the rails II and I2. The upper surface of wheel support 2I is coplanar with the tops of rails II and I2 so that when the rail portions II and I2 and the splice I3 are in position, the rail portions and the wheel support 2! form a continuous wheel support.

When assembling the rails I I and I2 and splice I3, the rails II and I2 are positioned with their ends spaced apart. The inner and outer members I4 and 15 are positioned at the ends of rails with the wheel supporting portion ZI between the ends of the rails. Two bolts 23 are passed through bolt holes 24 extending through the members. The bolt holes 24 extend through the wheel support portion 2| of member I 4 so that the bolts do not extend through or interfere with the rails. After the bolts 23 are in position, the nuts 25 are tightened to draw the members together. When this is done, the tongues I8 are wedged against the bottom of the ball and the top of the base of the corresponding rail and, as shown more clearly in Figure 2, the two members I4 and I5 are drawn together until face 22 of wheel support 2| abuts against the side of member I5. The wheel support 2i acts as spacer between members I4 and I-5. The tongues preferably do not engage the web of the rails so that each rail is gripped by its ball and base. The tongues I8, recesses IE and I9 and spacer 2! are soproportioned that the rail portions Ii and [2 are securely connected together and are so proportioned as to permit some longitudinal movement of the rail ends. As the bolts 23 do not engage or extend through the rail ends and as the rail ends are prevented from moving only by friction, the rails can longitudinally expand and contract when the temperature changes with little, if any, tendency to buckle. The splice members are fastened to the subfloor H] by bolts 26. The bottom face 21 of each member is co-planar with the bottom of the rails so that the weight carried by the rails is distributed over a relatively wide floor area.

The splice I3 securely grips and supports the end portion of rails II and I2 and also rerails derailed, flanged car Wheels. Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 3, in this installation, a floor 32 of concrete, or other suitable material, has been laid on the subfloor. The upper surface 33 of floor 32 is substantially co planar with top of the track rails. Assuming that for any reason the pair of flanged wheels 28 and 29 connected by axle 30 and forming part of a truck for a loading bu gy, have been forced off the track and to the left of rails 9 and H the derailed wheel 23 is supported on the surface 33 of floor 32 at the left of rail l9 and the derailed flanged wheel 23 is supported on the upper surface of that portion of the floor 32 which is between the rails. As the loading buggy is moved along the rails, the wheel 29 rolls onto an upper surface 3% of member i l. The surface 34 is below the top of the rails. As the wheel 29 is moved further along the tracks, it engages the rerailing guide 35 which extends upwardly above surface 34. The wheel guide 35 also converges inwardly toward the rail. Upon additional movement of the wheel, the guide forces wheel 29 over against to the position shown in full lines on Figure 6. Further movement of the wheel along the tracks causes the wheel to ride upwardly on the guide 35 until the wheel tread is at least as high as the top of the rail and the wheel support 2|. The flange of the wheel is still engaging the guide 35 which urges the wheel 29 toward the right so that as the wheel starts to ride up the guide 35, it is forced up and over until the wheel is properly positioned on the rail 9. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the Wheel 29 is forced onto the rail support 2| and into alignment with the rail portions H and I2. As wheel 29 is forced up and over into the rerailed position, wheel 28 also is moved to the right and into position on rail ill. The surface 33 of floor 32 is level with the top of the rails so that the flange of wheel 28 can readily move across the top of rail 9 and the wheel drop into position as shown in Figure 3.

Whenjthe surface of the floor is substantially level with the top of the rails, the rail joints may be staggered or may be located in the same transverse plane. Where the wearing surface of the floor is below the topof the track, the joints in the track rails must be located in the same transverse plane. As shown more clearly in Figure 4, at eachrjoint, there is a rerailer splice E3 and each splice i3 is so positioned that its outer member I5 is outside of the rails and its inner member H3 is between the rails. Assuming that they wheels 23 and 29 have been forced'ofi the rails and to the left but that the top of the floor is below the top of the rails, the derailed wheel 29 is between rails 9 and Ill and derailed wheel 28 is outside of rail it. As the wheels are moved longi tudinally along the track, wheel 29 rolls up ramp 3! onto the surface 34 and wheel 28 rolls up ramp 38 onto upper surface 39 of outer member ii of the splice in rail 10. Upon further movement of the wheels, guide 35 forces the wheel 29 up and over into the rerailed position and this movement of wheel 29 forces wheel 28 across surface 39 and the top of wheel support 2| until it drops back into position on rail 10.

In locations where the floor surface is Substantially level with the top of the track rails, the rail joints, including the splice and rerailer l3, may be staggered or may not be staggered as desired. Where thefloor or ties are below the top of the tracks, the rail joints must be non-staggered so that the wheel, which is outside of the rails, is supported on and forced across the sur-' ported weight over a wide area; holds the rail portions in alignment and securely connects them together, while permitting longitudinal expansion and contraction of the rail portions; and can be readily installed at the track joints to form a part of the track system. a

I claim:

1. A rail splice and rerailer for connecting together the adjacent, aligned, end portions of two rails to support a flanged wheel moving therealong and for replacing a derailed, flanged wheel ment of the tongues with the ball and base only of each rail end portion a wheel support integral with one of the members and extending between the rail ends, the wheel support having an upper, wheel supporting surface co-planar with the top of the rails; an upper horizontal surface on the inner member and below the top of the rails for supporting a derailed, flanged wheel;

an upper horizontal surface on the outer member;

and co-planar with the top of the rails; a wheel engaging guide extending above the Wheel-supporting surface of the inner member and converging inwardly toward the rails to force a derailed wheel from the upper horizontal surface of the inner member over and back onto the rails; fastening means extending through both members and the wheel support for drawing the members together and urging the tongues into frictional engagement with ball and base rails. V

2. A rail splice and rerailer for connecting together the adjacent, aligned, end portions of two rails to support a flanged wheel moving therealong and for replacing derailed, flanged wheels on the rails, each of the rails including a wheel supporting ball, a base and a connecting web. said rerailer comprising an outer member; an inner member; a tongue on each member-providing complementary recesses in the members for receiving the ball of each of the rail end portions,

portions of the the tongues extending toward the rail webs for engaging the ball of each rail end portion without engaging the rail webs and holding the rail end portions only through frictional engagement of the tongues with the rail end portions; a wheel support integral with one of the members and extending between the rail ends, the wheel support having an upper, wheel-supporting surface co-planar with the top of the rails; an upper horizontal surface on the inner member and below the top of the rails for supporting a derailed, flanged wheel; an upper horizontal surface on the outer member and co-planar with the top of the rails; a Wheel engaging guide extending above the wheel-supporting surface of the inner member and converging inwardly toward the rails to force a derailed wheel from the upper horizontal surface of the inner member over and back ontothe rai1s, fastening means extending through both members and the wheel support for drawing the members together and urging the tongues into engagement with the ball portions of the rail.

3. A rail splice and rerailer for connecting together the adjacent, aligned, end portions of two rails to support a flanged wheel moving therealong and for replacing derailed, flanged wheels on the rails, each of the rails including a wheel supporting ball, a base; and a connecting web, said rerailer comprising an outer member; an inner member; a tongue on each member providing complementary recesses in the members for receiving the base and ball of each of the rail end portions; a wheel supporting spacer member integral with one of the members and extending "between the rail ends, the wheel supporting member having an upper, wheel-supporting surface co-planar with the top of the rails; an upper 6 horizontal surface on the inner member and below the top of the rails for supporting a derailed. flanged Wheel; an upper horizontal surface on the outer member and co-planar with the top of the rails; a wheel engaging guide extending above the wheel-supporting surface of the inner member and converging inwardly toward the rails to force a derailed wheel from the Wheel-supporting surface of the inner member over and back onto the mile; a bottom surface on each of said members co-planar with the bottom surfaces of the rail end portions; fastening means extending only through both members and the Wheel support for drawing the members together and urging the tongues into engagement with ball and base portions of the rails to hold the rail end portions only by friction whereby the rails can expand and contract and urging the other member against the wheel supporting spacer member whereby the spacer member limits the drawing together of the outer and inner members.

NICK WINTERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 349,783 Campbell Sept. 28, 1886 896,378 Gordon Aug. 18, 1908 938,845 Grant Nov. 2, 1909 2,354,473 Neubaurn et a1 July 25, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 448,905 Germany Aug. 31, 1927 16,199 Great Britain Aug. 29, 1895 

